Staff sergeant dies following training exercise at Camp Roberts

June 12, 2014

A staff sergeant at Camp Roberts in San Luis Obispo County died after suffering a heart attack during a training exercise on Wednesday, shortly after a local hospital released him back to duty.

Raul Escobedo, 41, first complained of chest pains during the early evening hours and was taken to Twin Cities Community Hospital in Templeton. Medical staff examined Escobedo and released him back to duty. [KCBX]

Escobedo continued participating in the training exercise and had a heart attack at about 10:30 p.m. His fellow soldiers attempted unsuccessfully to revive him.

He was pronounced dead at Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center in San Luis Obispo on Wednesday night.

Escobedo was from Fullerton. Escobedo’s wife, also a National Guardsman, was flown to Sierra Vista shortly after his death.

53 Comments

Before it went to pay-for-views, the Trib website’s comment board was frequently monopolized by an annoying troll called ‘top.’ Remember him? He/she/it would verbally harasss posters until many of us just stop using that website.

It’s almost gotten to the point here at CCN. I really appreciate the investigative stories and enjoy reading others’ point-of-views. However, CCN’s resident troll is now making it almost not worth clicking here daily.

I wonder if CCN will even post this comment; I know I’m not alone when I ask if the moderators would please do something about a troll who consistently mocks religion (if I constantly posted verses from the Koran with sarcastic comments, I doubt THAT would be allowed.)

I know my style of commentary bothers some, and it doesn’t bother me one bit if they just skip my posts. Indeed, I find it a refreshing example of using their own power to avoid comments they find objectionable.

Why don’t you try it with the Koran and let us know if you get censored rather than assuming that you will be? I have criticized CCN for some bad reporting on these comment boards and, to their credit, they have not censored me for it.

Sometimes I find TS’s trolling amusing, mostly I just roll my eyes and move on. It really isn’t that hard to do.

I ceased my monthly donations because of the poor moderating of the message boards. Too bad, I do like the investigative reporting (when they do it – I understand there’s a lot of time involved and we may only get 1 or 2 really well done investigations a year).

I also tried just skipping the comments altogether; however, there are some comments here that are worth reading — one just has to step around all the small piles to get to them.

What’s worse is that this tragedy could have been avoided. Mr Escobedo was seen at Twin Cities and sent back to duty. No doubt some intern didn’t know what they were doing. Considering the ridiculous fees the ER charges ‘paying clients’, I should think we could expect a bit more competence. This sort of B.S. medical care is infuriating and he was only 41 years old. This is a case of medical malpractice if there ever was one.

My condolences to his family members especially his wife and those who loved him.

SSG Escobedo had all of the classic signs of an impending cardiac arrest. There are many of us with questions as to why TCH decided to release him back to his command given the circumstances. At the very least, I feel as do many, that he should have been put on a 24 hour observation.

Having said that, none of us knows just what type of tests were performed by TCH that would have signaled that SSG Escobedo be released back to his unit. It is my opinion however that because of his symptoms, again, he should have been held over for observation.

As for the ER charges, because SSG Escobedo was on “active duty” at this time with the Cal Guard for the purpose of Annual Training, all of his medical bills would be covered. As for malpractice, given his condition and the in your face real possibility that he was indeed in the beginnings of cardiac arrest, this is a real possibility at this point.

Again though, we will have to wait and see what comes from the Coroner’s inquest. As a side note; I have been to TCH on a couple of occasions and have always found them to be very professional and utmost concerned for my health. I just do not know what happened in this case. None of us do.

How hot was it up there Wednesday? 100+?
WIth thousands of soldiers up there training all day in that heat, I’m wondering if maybe there were more injuries/illnesses? Sunstroke is easy to get when dressed in combat gear and running around in tanks and such.

My condolences to the sargeant and his family. I’m sure he was a good man and it’s a terrible loss for his family. RIP Sgt. Escobedo. May the good Lord take you and comfort your family. I salute you and thank you for your sacrifice for us all.

YOUR QUOTE: “ SSG Escobedo was not doing PT at the time of his cardiac event.”

The reporting below disagrees with your notion stated above.

CNN STORY REPORT “A staff sergeant at Camp Roberts in San Luis Obispo County died after suffering a heart attack DURING A TRAINING EXERCISE on Wednesday, ……..”

KCBX STORY REPORT: A staff sergeant with the California Army National Guard died following symptoms of a heart attack that came on DURING A TRAINING EXERCISE Wednesday at Camp Roberts in San Luis Obispo County.”

CNN STORY REPORT: “Escobedo CONTINUED participating in the training exercise and had a heart attack at about 10:30 p.m ….” Sgt. Escobedo couldn’t CONTINUE in the training exercise if he didn’t perform said exercise before earlier that night!

The Cal National Guard is currently conducting the largest training exercises that it has done in years. In this case, the word exercise means operational training, practice, etc.. It doesn’t mean that they were doing calisthenics.

Yet SSG Escobar suffered symptoms of a heart attack while he was performing them, and was sent back to duty anyway.

If someone is suffering symptoms of a heart attack, they should be sent to the hospital, not sent back to the same activities in which the person was participating when he had the first bout of heart attack symptoms.

I happen to know because I happen to be a part of the “training excercise” currently being conducted. And have been for the better part of 30 years as I am a soldier.

If you have ever been a soldier, you would know the difference between a “training excercise” and physical training, or PT as it is referred to. SSG Escobedo was taking part in the largest Annual Training “excercise” that CR has had in over a decade. Not partcipating in physical training at the time as you have mistakenly printed.

This AT period will continue through the better part of next week when it will start winding down. This is all I will say to you about this story. I just wish that you had the FACTS before making your ludicrous statements about the loss of one of my Brothers in Arms. The loss of a much loved husband, father, brother, etc.

Again, Condolences to SSG Escobedos Army wife, Children, and his extended family.

It doesn’t matter. The heart attack symptoms occurred when he was doing the “training exercise.” Common sense dictates he should have been sent to the hospital and not back to do the same danged activity he was doing when he had symptoms of a heart attack.

“Although a little muscle soreness is to be expected when beginning a new physical training program, do not aggravate injuries by continuing to exercise when you are feeling pain or discomfort.” (U.S. Army Physical Training Guide)

Who is to blame for the loss of Mr. Raul Escobedo’s life? Sierra Vista Hospital, Mr. Escobedo himself for not following a part of the Army’s Physical Training Guide, or his fellow soldiers for not pointing out Army protocols for safe physical training?

With absolute fact, how do you know that the now deceased Sgt. Raul Escobedo is not burning in the sulfur lakes of Hell at this time?

Jesus said sinners cannot enter Heaven. All sinners will be forever estranged from our Hebrew God. “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).
The above biblical facts are ABSOLUTES with no forgiveness whatsoever of who is NOT going to heaven! How do you know that Mr. Escobedo didn’t commit one of these damnable sins? Huh? Who enacted you as God?

Furthermore, God said: “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” (Exodus 33:20)

Where are you embarrassingly getting your biblical knowledge from, a Cracker’s Jack box?

None of us know Teddy…but we do know “for the wages of sin pays is death” (Romans 6:23). He’s paid for all his sins. What’s left? “I have hope toward God, which hope these men also look forward to, that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous” (Acts 24:15)…..”Marvel not at his for the hour is coming, in which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. (John 5:28,29)

How do we know he’s not in Gehenna? Judgment day has yet to occur…thus I ask you where are you embarrassingly getting your biblical knowledge from?

Contrary to your notion, the following verse is in real time, where Hell exists at the time it was written and without any future resurrection of any righteous nor the non rightious!

“For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment.” (2 Peter 2:4)

As I am sure you would agree, this passage relative to our conversation has always been unnerving to say the least;

“But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.” (1 Corinthans 15: 13-18)

I can sense that you’re still upset with me in making you the fool by being the kettle that was calling the kettle black in your ever so embarrassing thread of disparaging Lois Capps. I understand that is to be expected by some like yourself.

“… when you are feeling pain or discomfort.” It deduces to common sense, that if you felt pain in your chest while performing strenuous excersise before, and of which took you to the hospital, then one should not repeat said excersie again until it is fully known in what is causing said chest pains. Get it? Huh?

If Capps is embarrassed by her behavior then she shouldn’t speak publicly about hoping opposing voters die. She has proven to be a liar, an extreme partisan, and in my sole first-hand meeting with her, an uncouth drunkard. Perhaps she is normally better than that. I don’t know. I met her one time and she was very offensive.

Now, speaking of offensive, show some respect to family and friends of the man here by way of terminating your “embarrassing” inquisition of the soul of another.

Perhaps we should focus on the fact that one of our citizen soldiers has passed away while training to protect us.
This is a tragedy. Attempting to speculate on who’s (if anyone) to blame is unnecessary and insensitive.